Podil

Podil (Ukrainian: Поділ) is a historic neighborhood in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kyiv, and the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry. It contains many architectural and historical landmarks, and new archaeological sites are still being revealed. It is a part of the city's larger administrative Podilskyi District.

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The name “Podil” means something that is situated downwards. This area used to be the trading and crafting center of Kyiv. The names of some Podil neighborhoods reflect this fact: "Dehtyari" (those who works with tar), "Honchari" (potters), "Kozhemyaki" (craftsmen working with leather). On the territory of Podil were found ancient constructions, some of them date back to 9th–11th century. Intensive building within Podil took place in the 17th century. An annual fair was conducted since 1797.

Before the Great Podil fire of 1811 it was the most populous neighborhood of the city with 2,068 houses out of 3,672 dwellings in all of Kyiv. The fire damaged the neighborhood extensively and changed the appearance of Podil dramatically. After the fire Podil was newly planned and a large number of new streets appeared, which still exist today. At this time were constructed such buildings as Contract's House, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, shopping arcade and others.

Until World War II, the section just north of Nyzhniy Val street was called Ploska chast or Ploskaya sloboda. It was home to many poor Jews who lived there in wretched conditions.[1][2][3]

The Kyiv Funicular serves passenger traffic between Podil and the city's historic Uppertown neighborhood, today it is mostly used by tourists. Some time ago, the Kyiv River Port served passenger traffic on the Dnipro River, but only tourists pleasure boats are available there nowadays.

^A. Anatoli, Babi Yar (New York: Pocket Book, 1971), p. 70: "What a place that Podol was! It was the most poverty-stricken part of Kiev... Here from time immemorial had lived the poor of the Jewish community, the poorest of the poor..."